You are here

Defenders Urges Babbitt and CITES Committee to Oppose the Illegal Killing of Elephants

(02/08/1999) - Defenders of Wildlife expressed its opposition to a reopening
of trade in African elephant ivory in a letter sent today to U.S. Secretary of
the Interior Bruce Babbitt. The Standing Committee for the Convention on
International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) is meeting in Geneva from
February 8 - 12 to decide this issue.

"We are concerned that the CITES committee is rushing to
allow ivory trade before safeguards are in place to ensure that it will not
result in the illegal trading of ivory and killing of elephants," said Rodger
Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife.

During the 1997 Conference of the Parties to CITES, delegates
approved a plan to allow three countries -- Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana --
to sell their ivory stocks to Japan. The delegates agreed that certain criteria,
including a system to monitor illegal elephant kills and ivory trade, must be in
place before the sale can occur. This system, MIKE (Monitoring Illegal Killing
of Elephants), is not yet up and running, and many express doubts whether it
will be able to perform as required once in effect.

"It is clear that the criteria required by CITES for a
resumption of ivory trade have not been met," said Bill Snape, Legal Director of
Defenders of Wildlife. "No trade should be approved unless clear evidence is
presented that shows every requirement is thoroughly satisfied."

Defenders also urged the Secretary to investigate and report to
Congress and the public on a series of funding questions, closed door
operations, and other irregularities that may be driving the international
treaty committee to approve the ill-advised ivory trade.

"We call on Secretary Babbitt not only to oppose resumption
of the ivory trade at this time but also to call for an open CITES
decision-making and budget process," said Schlickeisen.

Amphibians are facing many threats to their survival. Chytrid fungus, commercial trade of amphibians, habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, competition from invasive species and climate change are wreaking havoc on their numbers.